Category: Case Studies & Results

Organization Overview

Morgan County Prison is a 377,000-square-foot correctional facility located in Fort Morgan, Colorado. The facility houses up to 325 detainees and operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Built originally in 1898, with expansions over the decades, the complex now includes:

• HVAC chillers
• Pumps and motors
• Laundry operations
• Cafeteria facilities
• Security systems
• Automation controls
• Electronics and computer systems
• A 200+ kW solar installation

As a mission-critical public safety facility, reliability, resilience, and energy efficiency are essential.

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The Challenge

Correctional facilities are among the most electrically demanding building types. Morgan County Prison faced:

• High peak demand charges
• Variable and constantly changing electrical loads
• Harmonics and transient voltage issues
• Stress on motors, pumps, and HVAC equipment
• A 24/7 operational requirement with no tolerance for downtime

Even with existing conservation measures and solar generation, inefficiencies in the electrical network were driving unnecessary demand and increasing operating costs.

The Facilities Director, known for exploring innovative efficiency technologies, first encountered MPTS in 2012. After due diligence and demonstration, the county installed its first MPTS unit in the county office.

The results were strong enough that in 2020, funding was approved for an additional MPTS installation at the prison complex.

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The Solution

In June 2020, Morgan County Prison commissioned the MPTS (Maximum Power Transfer Solution) system within its electrical network.

MPTS was installed to improve power quality and optimize real power usage across the facility’s complex load profile.

Unlike passive monitoring systems, MPTS:

• Reduces total electrical demand (kW)
• Lowers total kVA (generation requirement)
• Mitigates harmonics
• Reduces transient voltages
• Improves power factor
• Cleans and recycles wasted electrical energy within the network

The system was installed with:

• No operational interruption
• No mechanical retrofits
• No replacement of existing equipment
• Zero maintenance requirement since commissioning

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The Results

The performance has been measured and verified by two independent metering systems:

• Accuenergy metering system
• MPTS Power Management & Metering System

Peak Demand Reduction

• 30% reduction in Peak Demand
• Average 70 kW reduction compared to benchmark
• Over 70 kW savings at any given moment in a 24-hour operation

For a continuously operating prison, this represents sustained, measurable cost reduction — not just momentary efficiency gains.

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Electrical Efficiency Improvements

The six-month performance graphs (2022–2023) show consistent performance across varying seasonal demand, proving long-term stability — not short-term anomaly

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Carbon Footprint Reduction

EPA greenhouse gas equivalency calculations (shown in the report) demonstrate:

435 metric tons of CO₂ reduced

Equivalent to:

• 96.7 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles driven for one year
• 1,114,026 miles driven by an average gasoline vehicle
• 48,899 gallons of gasoline consumed
• 42,688 gallons of diesel consumed 17-Morgan-County-Prison-case-st…

This reduction occurs without replacing equipment — simply by improving how electricity is used inside the building.

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Key Performance Metrics

Metric	Before MPTS	After MPTS	Improvement
Peak Demand	High	30% Reduction	Major Utility Savings
Energy Demand	Benchmark	-70 kW Average	Continuous 24/7 Savings
Power Factor	Variable	Significantly Improved	Higher Efficiency
kVA Load	Elevated	Reduced	Lower Generation Requirement
Harmonics & Transients	Present	Mitigated	Greater Reliability
CO₂ Emissions	Baseline	-435 Metric Tons	Sustainability Impact

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Operational Benefits

In addition to energy savings, the installation delivered:

• Improved electrical network resilience
• Reduced mechanical and electrical stress
• Better performance under changing loads
• Enhanced reliability for mission-critical systems
• Long-term maintenance-free operation

For a correctional facility, reliability is not optional — it is operationally critical.

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Why This Matters

Morgan County Prison demonstrates a powerful reality:

You don’t have to replace equipment to unlock capacity.

By cleaning and recycling wasted electrical power within the building, MPTS reduces:

• Electrical demand
• Generation requirement (kVA)
• Carbon footprint
• Infrastructure strain

All while increasing resilience.

In a 377,000 sq. ft. 24/7 facility, even small improvements compound. A consistent 70 kW reduction becomes transformational.

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Ideal Applications

Morgan County’s results are highly relevant for:

• Prisons & Correctional Facilities
• Hospitals
• Data Centers
• Municipal Buildings
• Schools & Campuses
• Water & Wastewater Plants
• Industrial Facilities
• Solar-integrated complexes

Organization Overview

Casas Church is a large and active community church located in Tucson, Arizona. With expansive facilities and year-round HVAC demands driven by the desert climate, energy efficiency plays a critical role in managing operational costs while maintaining a comfortable environment for congregants and staff.

Committed to responsible stewardship and long-term sustainability, Casas Church began exploring advanced solutions to reduce unnecessary energy waste and improve the performance of its electrical systems.

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The Challenge

An analysis of the church’s HVAC chiller revealed significant inefficiencies:

• Current draw of 129 amps
• Power factor between 44% and 52%
• Excessive reactive power and wasted demand
• Higher-than-necessary utility and demand charges
• Increased electrical and mechanical stress on HVAC equipment

Despite consuming large amounts of electricity, only a fraction of that power was being converted into useful work. The remainder was lost due to poor power quality—driving up costs without improving performance.

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The Solution

To address these inefficiencies, Casas Church deployed the PMCS Power Power Management Controls System on its HVAC chiller.

Unlike passive monitoring tools, the PMCS system actively optimized the electrical performance of the chiller by:

• Continuously correcting power factor
• Reducing reactive power (kVAr)
• Stabilizing electrical demand
• Improving overall power quality in real time

The installation and commissioning process was seamless and required no interruption to church operations—an essential requirement for a high-traffic community facility.

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The Results

The impact was immediate and measurable.

After installation, Casas Church achieved:

• 50% reduction in energy demand
• Significantly improved power factor
• Lower monthly electricity and demand charges
• Reduced electrical and mechanical stress on HVAC components
• Improved system reliability and longevity

By eliminating wasted power rather than adding new infrastructure, the church was able to unlock savings using the energy it was already paying for.

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Key Performance Metrics

Metric	Before PMCS Power	After PMCS Power	Improvement
Current Draw	129 Amps	Reduced & Optimized	Lower Demand
Power Factor	44–52%	Significantly Improved	Higher Efficiency
Energy Demand	High	50% Reduction	Major Cost Savings

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What the Customer Says

“The installation of the PMCS Power system significantly reduced energy demand while ensuring efficient operation of our HVAC system.”

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Why This Matters

Casas Church’s success highlights a critical truth about energy efficiency:

You don’t always need more power—you need better power.

By improving how electricity is used rather than how much is produced, PMCS Power delivers immediate, verifiable savings without waiting years for infrastructure upgrades or regulatory changes.

This project now serves as a model for:

• Churches and community facilities
• Commercial buildings
• Schools and campuses
• Data centers and mission-critical HVAC environments

Why Certification Matters in Power Management

In the energy sector, claims require proof. Certification from organizations like Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is one of the most rigorous validation processes in the industry.

The UL Testing Process

UL required two units of each of PMCS’s eight MPTS models—16 systems in total—to undergo extensive testing. Over nine months, UL evaluated:

• Power quality improvements
• Current and demand reduction
• Power factor correction
• System reliability across configurations

What Happened After Certification

Following approval, UL acquired an MPTS unit for ongoing benchmarking. It is now used internally for comparative testing against other power technologies—a rare endorsement that speaks to PMCS’s performance consistency.

What This Means for Customers

UL certification confirms that PMCS delivers measurable, repeatable improvements under real operating conditions. For facilities, utilities, and institutions, this validation reduces adoption risk and reinforces long-term confidence.

The Ideal Real-World Test

Douglas County School District in Colorado provided a rare opportunity: two nearly identical high schools, located just two miles apart, with similar:

• Square footage
• Student populations
• Mechanical systems
• Operating schedules

One school installed PMCS. The other did not.

What the Data Showed

Over 18 months, utility-provided data revealed:

• 14.5% reduction in peak kW demand
• 8.28% reduction in total kWh consumption
• Improved power quality across HVAC, lighting, and mechanical systems

Why This Case Study Matters

Unlike short trials or simulations, this long-term comparison eliminated variables. The results confirmed PMCS delivers sustained, verifiable efficiency gains in real facilities—not just controlled environments.